CorkonomicsThe economics of wine production, collection, and vineyards
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Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
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New to wine? Start with the short lessons, then look up any word you do not know.

Learn · Wine words · Your saved pages

Red wine

Made from dark grapes, with the skins left in the juice. The skins give the colour and that dry, grippy feeling called tannin.

Three glasses of red wine in a row, from pale to almost black

Reds run from pale and light to dark and powerful. The lightest are almost see-through and taste of red berries. The boldest are nearly black and taste of dark fruit, spice and oak.

Tastes of
Cherry, plum, blackberry, spice
Serve
Just below room temperature
Good with
Roast and grilled meat, tomato pasta, mushrooms, hard cheese

Serve red a little cooler than the room. Twenty minutes in the fridge helps most bottles.

Start with Pinot Noir if you like things light, Merlot for something soft, Cabernet Sauvignon for bold.

Three kinds of red

A glass of pale red wine on a garden table with sliced sausage and radishes

Light

Pale, fresh and fruity, with very little grip. Lovely slightly chilled.

Try Pinot Noir, Gamay (Beaujolais)

A glass of red wine beside a bowl of pasta in tomato sauce

Medium

The all-rounder. Enough flavour for dinner without feeling heavy.

Try Merlot, Sangiovese (Chianti), Tempranillo (Rioja)

A glass of dark red wine on a low table by an open fire

Bold

Dark, full and firm. Best with rich food or on a cold evening.

Try Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec

Red grapes to know

All grapes

Pinot Noir

Say it: PEE-noh NWAHR

The light, silky red. Pale in the glass, full of red fruit, never heavy.

  • Cherry
  • Raspberry
  • Mushroom

Merlot

Say it: mer-LOH

The soft, easy red. Plummy and smooth, with less grip than Cabernet.

  • Plum
  • Black cherry
  • Chocolate

Cabernet Sauvignon

Say it: cab-er-NAY so-vin-YOHN

The big, bold red. Dark, firm and built to go with a steak.

  • Blackcurrant
  • Black cherry
  • Cedar

Syrah

Say it: sih-RAH

The dark, peppery red. Also called Shiraz, mainly in Australia.

  • Blackberry
  • Black pepper
  • Olive

Grenache

Say it: gruh-NASH

The warm, generous red. Ripe strawberry fruit and a soft finish. Called Garnacha in Spain.

  • Strawberry
  • Raspberry
  • White pepper

Sangiovese

Say it: san-joh-VAY-zeh

Italy's tangy, savoury red. Made for the dinner table.

  • Sour cherry
  • Tomato leaf
  • Dried herbs

Tempranillo

Say it: tem-prah-NEE-yoh

Spain's smooth, savoury red. Often aged in oak until it tastes of vanilla and spice.

  • Cherry
  • Dried fig
  • Tobacco

Nebbiolo

Say it: neb-ee-OH-loh

Looks light, tastes powerful. Pale and perfumed, with a serious grip.

  • Rose
  • Sour cherry
  • Tar

Cabernet Franc

Say it: cab-er-NAY FRAHN

The fresh, leafy red. Lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon, with a lift of herbs.

  • Raspberry
  • Red pepper
  • Violet

Where the famous reds come from

All regions
France

Bordeaux

The home of the classic red blend.

 France

Burgundy

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at their most detailed.

 France

Rhône

Peppery Syrah in the north, warm Grenache blends in the south.

 United States

Napa Valley

California's home of rich, ripe Cabernet Sauvignon.

 Italy

Tuscany

Sangiovese country: Chianti, Brunello and the Super Tuscans.

 Italy

Piedmont

Foggy hills, and the mighty Nebbiolo grape.

 Spain

Rioja

Spain's classic red, mellowed by years in oak.

 United States

Oregon

Cool-climate Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley.

Famous red wines

See all 42
Hills between Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto, Piedmont, ItalyBruno Giacosa, Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del FallettoPiedmontChâteau Lafite Rothschild estate, Gironde, FranceCarruades de LafiteBordeauxVineyards (Premier Grand Cru Classé A) near Château Cheval Blanc, Saint-Émilion, FranceChâteau Cheval BlancBordeauxVineyard landscape in Pessac-Léognan, Graves, BordeauxChâteau Haut-BrionBordeauxChâteau Lafite Rothschild, BordeauxChâteau Lafite RothschildBordeauxChâteau Latour, Pauillac, BordeauxChâteau LatourBordeauxChâteau Lynch-BagesChâteau Lynch-BagesBordeauxChâteau Margaux in Bordeaux, FranceChâteau MargauxBordeaux

The other four types

The five types of wine
A glass of white wine on a sunlit stone table

White

Made from the juice alone, without the skins, so it stays pale and fresh. Usually lighter and crisper than red.

 Two glasses of rosé on a picnic blanket

Rosé

Dark grapes, but the skins are left in for only a few hours. Just long enough to turn the wine pink.

 A glass of sparkling wine with rising bubbles

Sparkling

Wine with bubbles. The fizz comes from a second fermentation that traps gas in the bottle. Champagne is the most famous.

 A small glass of golden dessert wine with cheese and dried fruit

Sweet

Wine that keeps some of the grape's natural sugar. Rich, golden and served in small glasses, often at the end of a meal.